Colombia: Transformed / Architecture = Politics
The curators of the exhibition making its world debut in Chicago this week throw the spotlight on five Colombian architects who leverage brick, concrete, and glass forms to improve the lives of ordinary people.By Vladimir Belogolovsky and Fernando Villa, AIA, LEED APApril 3, 2012

Editor’s
note: The exhibition “Colombia: Transformed/Architecture =
Politics” makes its World debut at the Instituto Cervantes of
Chicago, April 3 - May 27, 2012.

Manifesto

Between
believing and not believing, it is better to believe.

Between
acting and disintegrating, it is better to act.

Le Corbusier

In the midst of the global
financial crisis, while architects in developed countries contemplate the
diminishing role of architectural forms, their counterparts in Latin America,
particularly in Colombia, have succeeded in realizing a number of exciting and
inspiring projects. These initiatives convincingly demonstrate how original
architecture can be employed in establishing renewed identities and purpose for
local communities. Critics continue to paint gloomy pictures of hard economic
realities, which suggests architects should look for projects in emerging
markets and even migrate there, as many have already. A number of Colombian
architects find their creative use right in their own hometowns. They devote
their efforts to projects in which their innovative thinking is appreciated the
most – in the poorest neighborhoods, which surely can be found in every
architect’s home base.

Ten projects by five
Colombian architects provide much more than just shelter or entertainment, and
constitute a cross section of the nation’s architecture. Most are winners of
architectural competitions, which have become the norm for building public
projects in Colombia. These architects work hand in hand with local politicians
who see their towns as working tools and have faith in the transformative power
of design. Together, they believe that architecture is able to bring identity
to various parts of towns; to create new, dignified, and attractive public
spaces for interactive learning and leisure; and most importantly, to lift the
spirits of residents of the country’s poorest neighborhoods. These
transformative projects give us, architects from around the world, concrete
hope: If our highly developed societies experience a glitch in building new
symphony halls, museums of fine art, and iconic towers scraping clouds passing
by, there is surely still a need to solve more essential issues in
disadvantaged communities, the conditions of which frustrate us all, not just
the residents. And if our own politicians do not see such activism as a
priority, then perhaps it is up to us, the architects, to initiate
socially-conscious projects such as new parks, playgrounds, and community
centers in concert with the direct involvement of community groups and
universities. And why not bring our mighty corporations into this mix, as
well!?

Kindergartens,
schools, a sports complex, and a library built in Bogotá, Medellín, and Santa Marta in recent years prove what some architects, sadly, gave up believing long ago:
that architecture can transform peoples’ lives. In Colombia, architecture
leverages brick, concrete, and glass forms to improve the lives of ordinary
people. These projects carry real value for their communities. They act as
beckoning landmarks and spark curiosity and a sense of pride; they stitch
together broken neighborhoods, fuel peoples’ aspirations, and provide safe and
interlinked urban environments. They also raise another vital aspect of
architecture which no longer seems to be a concern for many contemporary
practitioners – the search for regional identity. Internationally, projects
often look undistinguished and irrelevant to their locales, but Colombian
architecture stands out. It is not pretending to be elsewhere. It is rooted in
its place. Instead of catering toward spectacle craving tourists, it is built
to address the real needs of the locals. The Colombian experience has a clear
message for the international community of architects – we are all needed
right where we live. Architects should stay local, be proactive, and keep
transforming architecture to better serve all of us. Architecture does make a
difference – it is better to believe, it is better to act.

Vladimir
Belogolovsky, Curator

Fernando Villa, AIA,
LEED AP, Co-curator

About the
exhibition:

“Colombia: Transformed/Architecture=Politics” traces 10 recently built
socially-conscious projects by five leading voices in contemporary Colombian
architecture: Daniel Bonilla and Giancarlo Mazzanti from Bogotá, and Felipe
Mesa, Juan Manuel Pelaez, and Felipe Uribe from Medellín. These visionary works
reflect significant social shifts that are taking place in Latin America today.
They demonstrate ideas of social inclusion, as well as innovative architectural
forms and spaces, which have been steadily transforming Colombian cities and
the nation.

The
projects are explored through photographs, slides, drawings, and film footage
to celebrate how these buildings are appropriated by the public.

About
the curators:

Vladimir Belogolovsky, founder of the New York City-based Intercontinental Curatorial Project, curates architectural exhibitions
worldwide. Trained as an architect at Cooper Union, he is the author of books: Felix
Novikov, Green House, Soviet Modernism: 1955-1985, and Harry
Seidler (Rizzoli, 2014). His Harry Seidler exhibition will
travel to Europe, North America, and Australia from 2012 to 2014. vbelogolovsky@gmail.com

Fernando Villa, AIA, is a senior associate with New York City-based Magnusson Architecture &
Planning. Trained at
the UniversidadPontificia
Bolivariana in Medellín, Colombia, he lectures internationally on sustainable design, and is the international representative
of the Colombian Society of Architects in NYC. He will be a juror at the
XXIII
Colombian Biennial of Architecture this year. villafernando5@gmail.com